A colleague of mine asked if this was newsworthy. I can't think of anything more important than helping those in need. Indeed, if an iPhone can make a difference in people's lives, then that gives new meaning to "iPhone Life" as well.
Doctor Edward K. Wong, Jr. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Opthalmology at the University of California, Irvine. He is part of a team headed to Kenya in November, 2010 that will be working with 400 children who have never had an eye exam. The team will be using the iPhone 4's camera to examine the eyes of these orphans. The technology is based on work by MIT.
As an emergency medicine physician, I often see diabetic patients only when the chronic effects of the disease are presenting themselves. I would prefer to focus more on preventative care, and as anyone that deals with diabetes knows, that is the key to managing the disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Mobility is a key to managing the disease. Diabetics have to be able to monitor their glucose levels, select the proper foods, and make sure they get the exercise they need, wherever they are. Fortunately for iPhone and iPod touch users, the App Store has a number of apps that will help with these activities.
There are so many apps for out there for women. Our focus for this article is to bring light to some apps relating to reproductive health and issues that we think many women can find useful on a day-to-day basis. These apps make busy lives easier and most importantly, healthier. They make tracking your period and pregnancy a breeze. As parents of four, we know the apps for pregnancy are invaluable and so easy to use. For any woman trying to become pregnant or already pregnant, these apps are for you!
Menstrual cycles
Women track their periods for numerous reasons. Some women might be trying to become pregnant, while others are trying to track the symptoms of PMS.
When I was young, all I needed to know was "never accept candy from strangers." Today, that seems to be the least of our worries. Fortunately, the tools we have available to protect ourselves and the ones we love are more powerful…and more mobile than ever before.
My colleague Ben Stallings here at iPhone Life has just posted about how filmmaker Dan Woolley trapped under the earthquake rubble in Haiti for 65 hours used his iPhone to help in his survival.
Dan's inspirational story has been covered extensively online, on the radio and on television (NPR, MSNBC, Wired, Gizmodo, etc).
Woolley, who is from Colorado Springs and was in Haiti to film a documentary about child advocacy group, spoke with WTVJ-TV in Miami about his ordeal:
I had my iPhone with me and I had a medical app on there, so I was able to look up treatment of excessive bleeding and compound fracture," Woolley said. "So I used my shirt to tie my leg and a sock on the back of my head. And later used it for other things, like to diagnose shock:
MSNBC and the Today Show report on the story of American filmmaker Dan Woolley, who was trapped under rubble by the Haiti earthquake and survived for nearly three days with the help of his faith, his blood-stained journal, and his iPhone and (separate) camera.
He specifically credits the iPhone's alarm clock (for keeping him from falling asleep while in shock) and an app that has been identified as Pocket First Aid and CPR, by Jive Media LLC.
The App Store is like the weather. Everybody complains about it but nobody does anything about it. The store is still full of junk apps and people still buy them. But every once in a while you come across an app that is worthwhile and in this case, could actually save lives.
PocketCPR is such an app. While labeled for "TRAINING USE ONLY" and I'm sure some lawyers would have something to say about it, the idea is to guide you through Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in an emergency. The app leverages the accelerometer to determine how well you are performing and give you audible and visual advice if you need to go faster or slower.
The free ICE App is one that everyone should have — and hopefully no one will need to use. The idea is simple: everyone is supposed to have an ICE contact in their phone, "ICE" standing for "in case of emergency." ICE App suggests that you put its icon in the upper right-hand corner of the main screen. The app lets you enter four categories of info: who you are, your emergency contacts, medical info, and allergies.
I suppose apps like this have been around for a while, but I hadn't heard of them. And I think it's a really neat idea. The free SportyPal app uses your iPhone's GPS to track your workout — running, cycling, roller-blading, walking, or whatever. The app logs your position, shows it on a map, and logs your movement, distance, speed, and calories burned while working out. You can view your workout in a map view, which shows where you went. And you can view the stats as charts or in summary fashion. Plus, it offers real-time information while you're working out, such as speed/pace, distance covered, and maximum speed.
